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P 271246Z NOV 07
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TAGS: OPRC KMDR IS
 
SUBJECT: ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION 
 
 
-------------------------------- 
SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT: 
-------------------------------- 
 
Annapolis Conference 
 
------------------------- 
Key Stories in the Media: 
------------------------- 
 
Ha'aretz banners: "Bush is Pressing to Immediately Open Negotiations 
on a Permanent Agreement" and Yediot Aharonot reported in its 
headline that US President George Bush will say in his speech on 
Tuesday that an agreement on a Palestinian state will be achieved by 
the end of his term. Ha'aretz reported that President Bush wants to 
officially open the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations for a permanent 
agreement at the Annapolis conference. The newspaper notes that 
despite Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's statement that "negotiations 
will be held in Jerusalem", it is highly probable that Israel will 
grant President Bush's wish. All media reported that President Bush 
and PM Olmert met on Monday in what was described by PM Olmert in a 
briefing to his diplomatic correspondents as an "excellent meeting." 
PM Olmert also said that he has expectations that "normalization 
with the Arab world would begin soon." Yediot reported that 
President Bush will not present new ideas in his opening speech on 
Tuesday. The newspaper quotes Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud 
al-Faisal as saying that the US has promised that it will do what 
ever it can in order to achieve peace. 
 
All media reported that President Bush also met with Palestinian 
President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday. The Jerusalem Post quoted White 
House spokeswoman Dana Perino as saying that "there will be only one 
Palestinian state," meaning that the Palestinians need to deal with 
the situation in Gaza. 
 
According to Maariv, late Monday night President Bush intervened and 
started to pressure PA President Abbas to sign the joint 
declaration. Ha'aretz cited estimates by Israeli sources that the 
sides would eventually reach an agreement. 
 
Makor Rishon-Hatzofe headlined the Syrian angle of the Annapolis 
conference.  On its front page it reported that the Syrians believe 
that razing the Golan issue at the conference is would be a 
diplomatic achievement.  The newspaper also emphasized PM Olmert's 
statement in a briefing to correspondents that if conditions are 
ripe Israel will hold negotiations with Syria. 
 
Maariv reported that a continuous conference to Annapolis is 
expected to take place in three months, maybe in Moscow. 
 
All media reported that all of the resistance parties in Gaza 
gathered on Monday and sent a message to PA Chairman Abbas that he 
has no mandate to make concessions on behalf of the Palestinian 
people. 
 
All media reported that 10,000 right-wing activists demonstrated 
Monday night in Jerusalem against PM Olmert, settlement evacuations, 
and dividing Jerusalem. 
 
Makor Rishon-Hatzofe published a poll that was conducted by the 
Palestinian Center for Public Opinion. It questioned 1,200 
Palestinians from Judea and Samaria, Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. 
According to the poll, 72.5% of Palestinian are opposed to Israeli 
sovereignty over the Western Wall in any peace agreement. Only 18.7% 
would support such an arrangement. 
 
All media reported that four Palestinian gunmen were killed on 
Monday by the IDF while attempting to initiate terrorist activities 
against Israel. 
 
Yediot published a letter written by Israeli reservists calling on 
PM Olmert not to give weapons to the Palestinians. 
 
Maariv reported that after seven years the US Six Fleet is returning 
to Israeli sea ports. The newspaper noted that since October 2000 
security concerns had kept the fleet's vessels from anchoring in 
Israeli ports. 
 
--------------------- 
Annapolis Conference: 
--------------------- 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
 
Senior columnist Yoel Marcus wrote in the independent, left-leaning 
Ha'aretz: "All credit for this remarkable gathering goes to Bush. 
It's his baby.  But the opportunity is all ours -- an opportunity 
that we dare not pass up." 
 
Senior columnists Nahum Barnea and Shimon Shiffer wrote in the 
mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot: "Under the cloak of 
cynicism, there is a desire for stability and people who are tired 
of paying the price of the non-solution.  The three people in 
Annapolis symbolize something that is greater than each of them and 
of the three of them together.  Even if Annapolis does not lead to 
an agreement, it constitutes an important milestone on the thorny 
Middle East road." 
 
Senior economic editor Sever Plocker wrote in Yediot Aharonot: 
"People say that the Annapolis conference is only going to be a 
'momentum conference,' that will jump start the peace process as the 
Madrid conference did. The thing is that the Madrid conference 
didn't jump start anything; it was a waste of time.... Still, we 
ought not to be pessimistic.... It could very well be that what 
common sense failed to do in the past will now be done by their 
[Arab states] worries about their money, and that these countries 
will now help to establish peace." 
 
Former Prime Minister and opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu wrote 
in Yediot Aharonot: "Signing a permanent status agreement today with 
the weak Abu Mazen is like building a multi-story building without 
foundations.  Sooner or later this building will collapse on us." 
 
The conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized: 
"President Bush should, as the centerpiece of his speech, call on 
the Arab governments gathered today in Annapolis to lead by example 
if they truly believe in peace.  Conferences do not change history, 
but clarity from the leader of the free world can." 
 
Senior diplomatic correspondent Ben Caspit wrote in the popular, 
pluralist Maariv: "In summary: don't hold your breath.  Peace isn't 
going to be the result of this story.  Not with these leaders." 
 
The Ultra-Orthodox Yated Ne'eman editorialized: "Annapolis, like 
other conferences, is intended to pressure Israel to give to the 
Palestinians without getting anything in return." 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
¶I. "Bush's baby - and ours" 
 
Senior columnist Yoel Marcus wrote in the independent, left-leaning 
Ha'aretz (11/27): "We have never had a president like George W. 
Bush, and chances are we will never have another.  If we reach an 
agreement, we are not only clinching a deal with Mahmoud Abbas, but 
with the whole of the moderate Arab world.... It is doubtful that 
America's next president will be as friendly and supportive as Bush, 
who can be trusted not to pressure us on issues that compromise 
Israel's security and survival.  So whatever can be achieved we must 
try to achieve now, while Bush is still at the helm.  We are not 
going to be able to fool all of the people all of the time.... At 
the moment, the fact that part of the Arab world has cut itself off 
from Hamas in Gaza is an impressive preliminary achievement. 
Olmert's administration is facing its most important challenge yet. 
Now that Syria has joined, the Annapolis summit is forging a new 
regional map, with the sons of light pitted against the sons of 
darkness.  All credit for this remarkable gathering goes to Bush. 
It's his baby.  But the opportunity is all ours -- an opportunity 
that we dare not pass up." 
 
II. "All Beginnings are Hard" 
 
Senior columnists Nahum Barnea and Shimon Shiffer wrote in the 
mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot (11/27): "Three people 
will walk today under the cloudy skies of Annapolis: an American 
president who lost his world in Iraq, a Palestinian statesman who 
lost half his country to Hamas and holds onto the other half mainly 
thanks to the IDF, and an Israeli leader facing skeptical public 
opinion, weary of ceremonies.  Nonetheless, Annapolis is important. 
Under the cloak of cynicism, there is a desire for stability and 
people who are tired of paying the price of the non-solution.  The 
three people in Annapolis symbolize something that is greater than 
each of them and of the three of them together.  Even if Annapolis 
does not lead to an agreement, it constitutes an important milestone 
on the thorny Middle East road." 
 
III. "Conferences Without Results" 
 
Senior economic editor Sever Plocker wrote in the mass-circulation, 
pluralist Yediot Aharonot (11/27): "Israel secured agreements with 
Arab states only when it negotiated with each one separately.... 
Peace conferences that are attended by numerous representatives have 
never promoted anything.... People say that the Annapolis conference 
is only going to be a 'momentum conference,' that will jump start 
the peace process as the Madrid conference did. The thing is that 
the Madrid conference didn't jump start anything; it was a waste of 
time.... Still, we ought not to be pessimistic.  In the past 60 
years the Arab oil states have never had so strong, so immediate, so 
existential an interest in preventing the Israeli-Palestinian 
conflict from flaring up as they do now.  They need quiet in order 
to protect their astronomical wealth and to enjoy it and its fruits. 
 It could very well be that what common sense failed to do in the 
past will now be done by their worries about their money, and that 
these countries will now help to establish peace." 
 
IV. "True Peace or Imaginary Peace" 
 
Former Prime Minister and opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu wrote 
in the mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot (11/27): "The 
yearning for peace must not cause us not to distinguish between true 
peace and imaginary peace.  The first fundamental condition for a 
true peace is the existence of a true partner that is able and 
willing to lead its people to peace.... Signing a permanent status 
agreement today with the weak Abu Mazen is like building a 
multi-story building without foundations.  Sooner or later this 
building will collapse on us.  It can be otherwise.  A responsible 
government must conduct negotiations assertively, with determination 
and with pride.  It must promote, in a practical manner, economic 
development for the Palestinians who want peace, and at the same 
time, encourage them to build stable governmental and legal 
institutions.  A responsible government would maintain security, 
would insist on reciprocity and distinguish properly between true 
peace and an imaginary peace." 
 
¶V. "Bush's Clarity" 
The conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized (11/27): 
"The question now is how Bush can, in the current context, carry his 
original vision [the Road Map] forward.  His speech today, before 
Israeli and Palestinian leaders and about 20 Arab foreign ministers 
at Annapolis, is a major opportunity to carry on where his June 2002 
speech left off.... Even in 2002, it was clear based on the 
spectacular collapse and aftermath of the 2000 Camp David summit 
that the Palestinians could not lead toward peace while the Arab 
states lagged behind.  Now the Palestinian leadership is 
considerably weaker and more divided then it was then, and is even 
greater need of real leadership from the Arab states.... President 
Bush should, as the centerpiece of his speech, call on the Arab 
governments gathered today in Annapolis to lead by example if they 
truly believe in peace.  Conferences do not change history, but 
clarity from the leader of the free world can." 
VI. "The Moment of Truth has Arrived" 
Senior diplomatic correspondent Ben Caspit wrote in the popular, 
pluralist Maariv (11/27): "Ehud Olmert's speech at Annapolis is 
supposed to be in his mother tongue, which is our mother tongue. 
Hebrew.... Olmert's real audience is a Hebrew-speaking audience.  It 
isn't peace that he's gone to make in Annapolis but a peace spin. 
He is going to address the Israeli electorate, he is going to 
deliver a good and convincing speech, he is going to create the 
 
semblance of an historic moment that is rife with optimism, and will 
aim for Jerusalem.  That is where his audience is seated, mainly one 
of them whose name is Eliyahu Winograd.  It is to that audience that 
Olmert will be speaking today, much more than to Bush, Abu Mazen or 
the Arab League.... Right wing activists demonstrated in Jerusalem 
on Monday and said that Olmert had no mandate to concede parts of 
the Land of Israel; in Gaza Hamas activists gathered and declared 
that Abu Mazen had no mandate to concede parts of Palestine.  George 
Bush's mandate is due to expire at the end of next year.  In 
summary: don't hold your breath.  Peace isn't going to be the result 
of this story.  Not with these leaders." 
 
VII. "Conference of Peace or Conference of War" 
 
The Ultra-Orthodox Yated Ne'eman editorialized (11/27): "The 
atmosphere before Annapolis is not optimistic.  The commentators are 
united in their belief that the chances for success are slim.... 
Annapolis, like other conferences, is intended to pressure Israel to 
give to the Palestinians without getting anything in return.  And 
Olmert, as Ehud Barak was with Clinton, is going there to serve as a 
rubber stamp to concessions that would only increase [Israel's] 
security risk." 
MORENO